7 posts from May 2007

May 29, 2007

The Asian Art Museum (AAM) in San Francisco is one of the largest of its kind in the West. Interestingly, over half of its 15,000 pieces come from a single donor --Avery Brundage (1887-1975), an engineer-businessman from Chicago, Olympic athlete, sports official, art collector, and a philanthropist, who ran a real estate company and also headed the International Olympic Commission from 1952-72. He successfully opposed the US boycott of the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany, criticizing "radicals and communists" for the move. He was not only a racist and Nazi sympathizer, he even praised Hitler at a NY rally.

But none of this kept him from accumulating some of the rarest and finest works of Asian art, with a special taste for Buddhist art (go figure!). For Indian art at least, the man seems to have gone for physical perfection. It's not clear if he ever visited India, or had much insight into what he was collecting. These pieces probably bubbled up to the top of the art market in the West and he acquired them with a passion. Spanning three floors, the museum requires multiple visits to do justice to it. Here are ten selections from its South Asia gallery. Other galleries include The Persian World and West Asia, China, Southeast Asia, The Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World, Korea, and Japan.

The Bodhisattva Maitreya, 100-300; Pakistan / ancient Gandhara"Maitreya is believed to be a powerful spiritual being who, when the time is right, will be born on earth in human form and become the next Buddha. Though little actual jewelry has survived from this early period, the elaborate ornaments, collar, necklace, and bracelets shown here provide evidence of what such jewelry looked like. Notice on the necklace the long-bodied centaurs."

The Buddha visits his former wife and son, 100-300; Pakistan / ancient Gandhara."Once, the Buddha returned to his father's capital to visit his former wife and son, Yashodhara and Rahula." When the mother sent the boy to ask the visiting monk for his inheritance, the Buddha decided to share with his son "the noble wealth that [he had] attained at the place of enlightenment."

The deity Jambala, 1000-1100; Sarnath, UP or Bodh Gaya, Bihar"Jambala is chief among a group of deities known as yakshas, who are closely associated with nature and the riches of the earth. The over-turned treasure vases at the base of this sculpture and the mongoose spitting forth jewels in Jhambala's left hand indicate his ability to grant wealth and prosperity. Jambala and other yakshas were the focus of numerous local cults before Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism ... which incorporated many such deities into their pantheons."

The Hindu deity Chamunda, 800-1000; Rajasthan"Two male demons set out to overcome the war goddess Durga. When she saw them, 'her face in anger became black as ink. From her knitted brows sprang forth Kali [Chamunda], with her dreadful face ... a strange skull-topped staff [and] shrouded in a tiger skin ... gruesome with her emaciated skin ... terrifying with its lolling tongue, and filled the directions with roars.' Here the terrifying twelve-armed goddess [also] brandishes ... a trident, bow, skull cup, and other implements of violence. In her two uppermost hands she holds a corpse."

Shiva as destroyer of the three cities of the demons, 1000-1100; Central India"Three demons practice such severe self-denial that they earn a favor from the deity Brahma. They ask [for immortality but] Brahma says that there is no complete immortality and tells them to ask for a different favor. Then they ask 'that we may establish three cities and wander over this world by your grace. Then, after a thousand years, we will come together and these cities will become one, and ... Shiva will destroy these united cities with a single arrow, and that will be our death.' Shiva is shown at the moment when the three cities unite, shooting the single arrow that will destroy them. In addition to the bow at upper right, in most of his other nine hands he holds a variety of weapons. His left foot rests on the back of a demon. Behind the other foot can be seen his son ... Ganesha".

The Buddhist deity Vajra Tara, 1075-1200; perhaps Nalanda, Bihar"Known as a provider of magical protection. Her devotees were adherents of a branch of Buddhism that made use of mandalas, special diagrams for meditational purposes. This image of Vajra Tara and her attendants is, in fact, a sculptural mandala. The organization of its figures adheres to Buddhist texts that speak of her being seated amidst a group of ten goddesses. Here they are arranged along the upper edge of the backslab and at the sides of the lotus pedestal ... [her eight arms] carry symbolic implements (such as noose, elephant prod, and lotus) that are also described in Buddhist literature."

The River deity Ganga, 800-900; probably Rajasthan"Two of India's greatest rivers, the Ganga (Ganges) and the Yamuna, are personified as goddesses with the same names.... often represented at either side of ... temple doorways ... Ganga here stands on a mythical water creature that has a little male figure issuing from its upturned mouth. The voluptuous goddess leans on the shoulder of an attendant. The large leafed lotus vine above the goddess's head was held like an honorific parasol by another attendant ... broken off except for one foot and one arm."

One-faced Linga, 400-450; MP"Temples devoted to the Hindu god Shiva often contain in their innermost sanctums a linga, or phallic emblem of this god. While most are plain in appearance, some--like this example--depict the face of Shiva. Shiva's association with the phallus derives from his asceticism. In the Indian cultural sphere, ascetics were thought capable of attaining extraordinary powers--sometimes rivaling those of the gods--through meditation, austerities, and strict self-denial. Because their practices included celibacy and strict control of reproductive fluids, the upright phallus came to represent accumulated stores of energy and creative ability. Shiva, the foremost of ascetics, possesses powers vast enough to generate creation."

Nandi, 1400-1500; Tamil Nadu"The bull Nandi is the faithful mount of the Hindu deity Shiva. In southern India, a large sculpture of Nandi would usually be placed in front of the main sanctuary of a temple to Shiva. It would face the sanctuary, so that Nandi could gaze adoringly at the representation of his master enshrined there.... here, Shiva's bull is decked with garlands, strings of bells, an elaborate blanket, and other decorations carved into the stone. In the temple, it would have been wreathed in real flowers and fabrics."

The Hindu deity Parvati, 1050-1100; Jaynagar-Hasanpur, Bihar"Parvati, the wife of Shiva, holds in her left hand a now-broken figure of her child Skanda; her other child, the elephant-headed Ganesha, can be seen near her right foot. Beneath her lotus throne is the lion she customarily rides. Above her, elephants pour water over her in a gesture of homage."

May 28, 2007

Religious folks are a diverse lot. In their public acts, they exhibit a host of inspirations, both religious and secular. We can guess but we can't usually be sure about the mix. Forget the average pious bloke, even a suicide bomber's inspirations are rarely plain. Yet, to the extent a religious inspiration is evidentin a public act — whether good or bad in its effect — what should we make of it?

Religion is so entwined with history that it's hard to imagine what an alternate world would have been like. It is not sensible to say that the world would have turned out better (or worse) without it. When militant atheists like Harris, Dawkins, and Hitchens attack religion as pernicious and irrational, they tend to equate secular with rational. They forget that being secular (or an atheist) is not a positive virtue; it doesn't make one more rational, kind, or caring. History is also replete with secular horrors.

Reacting to militant atheists, moderate atheists often wince and point out the mixed record of religion -- that religiosity is not all bad; in many, it has also inspired charity, altruism, and resistance to inhumanity and injustice (e.g., the Civil Rights movement, Anglican Church on Apartheid, etc.). Without their religiosity, many of these folks may not have acted as they did. Religiosity can also hold society together, provide comfort and strength in trying times, etc. Moderate atheists call this "good religiosity" and prefer to object only to "bad religiosity". As a corrective and a call for greater tolerance, this seems reasonable. We wonder: Is there a downside to this "mixed record of religion" argument?

Allow me to use an analogy. If I know that a socially good outcome came from a selfish motive (fame, glory, thrill, riches, power, etc.), I won't dignify the doer. I recognize that without the selfish motive (which, perhaps like religiosity, issues from an evolutionary instinct), the doer may not have acted and thus prevented the good from occurring. I readily appreciate the good but, privy to the motive in this case, I still refuse to put the doer, or his instincts, on a pedestal. Many such acts might make me more tolerant of others' selfishness, but they won't make me respect it. When evident, I'll elevate enlightened motives over selfish ones. Looking at motivation (and means, not just the ends) is rather central to how I make value judgments.

Likewise with the "mixed record of religion". Good deeds inspired by religiosity still do not raise my respect for religiosity. Sure, without it they may not have happened at all, yet the doer and the inspiration fail to earn my respect to the extent the motive is religious. I readily appreciate the good results; they tend to make me more tolerant of public religiosity, even as I continue to see its roots in fear and unreason. But even if falsehoods comfort, bind, and keep the peace, do they deserve my respect? Many moderate atheists perhaps go too far with respect, thereby sounding like apologists for religion (not to mention paternalistic). As an atheist myself, I dislike the intolerant zeal of militant atheists but also harbor no respect for religiosity, including the "good" kind.

May 23, 2007

A disproportionately large number of Indians have congenital defects and visibly stunted growth. The poorest of them are often abandoned by their families and/or forced to beg. Tourist and pilgrimage sites inevitably become their favorite stomping grounds. Why does it seem so much worse in India, even compared to the lower GDP nations of, say, East Africa (the only part of sub-Saharan Africa I have seen)?

Excluding the unlucky rolls of genetic dice (many of which can be avoided by a medical pre-screening), most birth defects are due to maternal malnutrition and substance abuse, as well as exposure to toxins, pollution and hazardous waste. In India, the latter may be no less significant. Given India's worsening urban environments and anemic healthcare, one has to stretch facts, ignore evidence, and be a determined optimist to see light at the end of this tunnel. At least for the foreseeable future, India should remain the prime destination for photo ops of the kind below.

Addendum: A regular reader of Shunya's Notes, a geneticist, emailed to say that these photos are more likely to be of early childhood polio victims rather than congenital defects, except the second photo which is "more likely to be a congenital disorder because both the upper and lower limbs in the victim appear to be severely deformed presenting almost a case of classic clubfoot which involves a congenital upward and inward twisting of the foot. Whereas in the other photographs the victims appear to have a lower motor neuron disease which is most likely Poliomyelitis and the upper part of the body remains comparatively unaffected ... unless one can do an Electromyography (EMG) on the victims, [one can't be certain]." Since they still fall within the ambit of this post's title, I am inclined to leave them as they are.

May 16, 2007

Jerry Falwell is dead. The news reports reminded me that besides the Moral Majority, he also founded a Christian madrassa called Liberty University. There are in fact scores of Christian madrassas in America, often with thousands of students enrolled. The big difference is that they are wealthier than their Islamic counterparts, market themselves more slickly, and have a lot more political power. I paused to glean some information from their websites -- an act of masochism you might say -- but for you, dear reader, no trouble is large enough. (Statutory warning: Text below might make you laugh and cry at the same time.)

Liberty University"[The] world’s largest evangelical university, with over 20,000 students ... [providing] the highest quality education in a distinctly Christian environment.... Liberty’s professors integrate a Christian worldview into every subject area. This biblical foundation is the cornerstone upon which we build academic excellence. Our faculty hold degrees from more than 400 colleges and universities. They join Liberty only after completing a rigorous interview process that confirms a born-again relationship with Christ ... and a commitment to teaching excellence."

Bob Jones University"[BJU] exists to grow Christlike character that is Scripturally disciplined; others-serving; God-loving; Christ-proclaiming; and focused Above.... Whatever field of study our students choose, they are taught the importance of having Christ at the center of their lives.... This emphasis is rooted in the University’s adherence to the Bible as mankind’s only source of faith ... [BJU] continuously strives to be the best school it can be, to the honor and glory of Christ."Wheaton College"A four year, residential, academically rigorous ... college whose historic motto is “For Christ and His Kingdom".... Committed to the principle that truth is revealed by God through Christ in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge... We believe that God directly created Adam and Eve, the historical parents of the entire human race; and that they were created in His own image, distinct from all other creatures... [Our Physics program gives] students a fuller awareness of the structure and principles characteristic of the created universe... [we produce the] best science graduates in the nation [who] have a high tendency to earn Ph.D.s and enter scientific careers."

Evangel University"The mission of Evangel's Department of Science and Technology is to provide a solid understanding of science, yet temper it with an appreciation for the majesty of God as revealed in the beauty and order of His creation.... Our faculty and staff are dedicated to helping our students fulfill their God-given potential. Most important of all, we want our students to know the Truth."

Regent University"[An] institution of higher learning that exists to bring glory to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Our mission is ... education from a global, biblical perspective in pivotal professions to equip Christian leaders to change the world, and to be a leading center of Christian thought and action.... Our students, faculty and administrators share a calling, founded on biblical principles ... Our vision ... is to provide Christian leadership in transforming society by affirming and teaching principles of truth, justice and love as described in the Holy Scriptures, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ and enabled through the power of the Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria.

American Evangelical Christian University"AECU believes that every God called person should have the opportunity to pursue a quality education at an affordable price. No matter what course of study you pursue, it is our goal to have you emerge as a disciple of Christ with a deeper ... appreciation of the Christian faith."

May 14, 2007

Among the most affecting and iconic works of photojournalism are those that capture the human experience at its extremities: war, famine, disease, torture, genocide. The best of these photographs reflect back to us our starkest human material, and bring into focus both the benefits and the costs of political events and policies. They give "a voice to those who would not otherwise have a voice [and] put a human face on issues which from afar can appear abstract or ideological."

For various reasons, not many photographers operate in this space. One who does is James Nachtwey; he has produced an enviable body of work from our war zones and brought to light vital stories from around the world. He wanted above all to be a war photographer, "driven by an inherent sense that a picture that revealed the true face of war would, almost by definition, be an antiwar photograph." Photography like his is much more than being at the right place at the right time -- it requires a certain eye, a special way of looking at the world, which can recognize and distill a significant human experience into an image. Above all, it is a work of demanding intellect, honesty, and empathy.

Visit James Nachtwey's website, read his bio, and hear his inspiring speech at the recent TED awards acceptance ceremony for 2007 (also explore other TED talks by some pretty smart people). I've chosen here a few of my favorite images from his website.

A brand new addition to the joys of the Web is the Encyclopedia of Life, an ambitious, Noah's Ark-like project where "the world's scientists plan to compile everything they know about all of Earth's 1.8-million known species of animals, plants, and other living creatures on one website, open to everyone." Check out the overview video and its attractive sample pages on the Death Cap Mushroom, Yeti Crab, and Polar Bears, combining text, photos, video, audio, maps, and more.

"It's an interactive zoo," said James Edwards, a biologist who will be
the encyclopedia's executive director. ... He hopes [that it] will have the same catalytic
effect the Human Genome Project has had on biology and genetics.

The project ["unrivaled in scope"] will take about 10 years to complete and ... is expected to fill about 300 million pages ... [which] can be adjusted so that they provide useful information for both a child doing homework and a research biologist alike, with an emphasis on encouraging "citizen-scientists" to add their sightings.

While amateurs can contribute in clearly marked side pages, the key detail and science parts of the encyclopedia will be compiled and reviewed by experts. "It could be a very big leap in the way we do science," said Cristian Samper, acting secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, one of seven museums, universities and labs to launch the encyclopedia.(read the full story, other news stories, web pages)

May 07, 2007

Climate change has emerged as a significant issue only in the last few years. Though evidence has been building for decades, it has taken this long to reach a point where Leno & Letterman can joke about it and be understood. Al Gore's remarkable documentary certainly went a long way in building this awareness, but what left me unsatisfied about it was the lack of a plan of action. What are our options now? Their costs. Probabilities of various outcomes. Etc.

Here is a calm and rational survey article, Warmer, Warmer, by John Lanchester, a contributing editor at the London Review of Books, on how we got here, the politics of climate change, our realistic options, viable alternate energies, and the various possible scenarios for the future, including one which might include "breeding pairs, and camels in the Arctic".

I don’t think I can be the only person who finds in myself a strong degree of psychological resistance to the whole subject of climate change. I just don’t want to think about it. This isn’t an entirely unfamiliar sensation: someone my age is likely to have spent a couple of formative decades trying not to think too much about nuclear war, a subject which offered the same combination of individual impotence and prospective planetary catastrophe. Global warming is even harder to ignore, not so much because it is increasingly omnipresent in the media but because the evidence for it is starting to be manifest in daily life. Even a city boy like me can see evidence that the world is a little warmer than it was.

Part of the problem is one of scale. Global warming is as a subject so
much more important than almost anything else that it is difficult to
frame or discuss. At the moment there is a global warming-related item
on the news at least once a week. Today, for instance, there are two:
close to home, a judge throwing out the government’s phoney
‘consultation’ process over nuclear power, and further away, at a
conference in Washington, an ‘informal agreement’ marking a new
commitment to ‘tackling climate change’ and resulting in a
‘non-binding’ declaration which reflected ‘a real change of mood’. Just
what the world needs – more hot air. And then the news moves on to
other things, to contaminated Anglo-Hungarian turkeys and gang
shootings and potential schisms in the Anglican Church. There is a kind
of falsehood built into this; at the very least, a powerful degree of
denial. If global warming is as much of a threat as we have good reason
to think it is, the subject can’t be covered in the same way as church
fêtes and county swimming championships. I suspect we’re reluctant to
think about it because we’re worried that if we start we will have no
choice but to think about nothing else.

Primary Editors

Search

New Book by Namit Arora

“The Lottery of Birth reveals Namit Arora to be one of our finest critics. In a raucous public sphere marked by blame and recrimination, these essays announce a bracing sensibility, as compassionate as it is curious, intelligent and nuanced.” —Pankaj Mishra